CalPIRG Campus Organizer Julia McLaughlin goes over toys her group says are hazardous toys and should be avoided this holiday season at a Tuesday, Nov. 21, news conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside.

Not even bad girls and boys deserve this aisle of misfit toys, says a consumer advocacy group that unveiled a list Tuesday, Nov. 21, of potentially unsafe holiday gifts for children.

The California Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’s 32nd annual “Trouble in Toyland” report lists toys the group considers hazardous because of high lead content, privacy concerns or other safety issues.

Dr. Touraj Shafai, Children’s Medical Group pediatrician, speaks about the medical concerns of hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. CalPIRG Education Fund’s released its 32nd annual toy safety report, “Trouble in Toyland,” which included fidget spinners, balloons, peg games and and My Friend Cayla as hazardous toys. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

California Public Interest Research Group Education Fund presents its 32nd annual “Trouble in Toyland” report of hazardous toys to avoid this holiday season during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. CalPIRG Education Fund’s toy safety report included lead-laden fidget spinners data-collecting toy My Friend Cayla, and choking-hazard toys such as balloons and peg games. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

My Friend Cayla is listed on CalPIRG’s annual “Trouble in Toyland” report as a toy to avoid this holiday season because of its data-collecting can be used to violate children’s privacy. CalPIRG revealed the list hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Peg games are listed on CalPIRG’s annual “Trouble in Toyland” report as toys to avoid this holiday season because they contain choking hazards and lack warning labels. CalPIRG revealed the list hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Balloons, such as Disney Princess Punchball Balloons, are listed on CalPIRG’s annual “Trouble in Toyland” report as toys to avoid this holiday season because they can become lodged in children’s throats and have misleading warning labels that say they are safe for three to eight year olds. CalPIRG revealed the list hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

CalPIRG Campus Organizer Julia McLaughlin and Dr. Touraj Shafai, Children’s Medical Group pediatrician, go over hazardous toys to avoid this holiday season during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. CalPIRG Education Fund’s released its 32nd annual toy safety report, “Trouble in Toyland,” which included fidget spinners, balloons, peg games and and My Friend Cayla as hazardous toys. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Peg games are listed on CalPIRG’s annual “Trouble in Toyland” report as toys to avoid this holiday season because they contain choking hazards and lack warning labels. CalPIRG revealed the list hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Fidget Wild Spinner Brass and Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Metal are listed on CalPIRG’s annual “Trouble in Toyland” report as toys to avoid this holiday season because of their lead levels that exceed the legal limit for children’s products. CalPIRG revealed the list hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Peg games are listed on CalPIRG’s annual “Trouble in Toyland” report as toys to avoid this holiday season because they contain choking hazards and lack warning labels. CalPIRG revealed the list hazardous toys during a press conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

CalPIRG Campus Organizer Julia McLaughlin goes over toys her group says are hazardous toys and should be avoided this holiday season at a Tuesday, Nov. 21, news conference at the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group in Riverside. Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG

A toy industry trade group — and toy manufacturers — took issue with the group’s findings, which were published in conjunction with U.S. PIRG.

Despite progress in toy safety, “the message is clear today – we need to protect our youngest consumers from unsafe toys,” the group’s Campus Organizer Julia McLaughlin said at a Riverside news conference. “Parents and caregivers should watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys.”

The event featured comments from Dr. Touraj Shafai of the Inland Empire Children’s Medical Group.

“Pediatricians and doctors should speak with parents about toy safety concerns, particularly small parts and choking hazards,” the Riverside doctor said. “About two-thirds of choking deaths among children are caused by children’s toys, particularly balloons and small toy parts.”

In an emailed statement, The Toy Association said: “Many of the items named in U.S. PIRG’s supposed ‘Trouble in Toyland’ report were previously recalled due to ongoing regulatory vigilance, and are no longer offered for sale,” the statement read.

“In typical fashion, PIRG has resorted to simply listing recalled toys because they couldn’t find safety violations among the toys that are on the market. As a result, the group is needlessly frightening parents and caregivers during what is supposed to be a joyful time of year.”

DISTRIBUTOR’S RESPONSE: In an emailed statement, Harold Chizick, a spokesman for Bulls-I-Toys, which distributes the spinners, said: “Safety is one of our top priorities. All of our products are tested and comply with (federal Consumer Product Safety Commission) safety standards.”

MY FRIEND CAYLA

AT ISSUE: The talking doll that recognizes a child’s voice collects data that can be used to violate children’s privacy, the group says. Regulators in Germany banned the doll after calling it an espionage device that’s vulnerable to hacking.

MANUFACTURER’S RESPONSE: Nuance, the company behind the voice-recognition technology, has said it does not “use or sell voice data for marketing or advertising purposes.”

BALLOONS

AT ISSUE: Inflatable balloon sets sold at discount stores can get lodged in children’s throats and have misleading warning labels to make it seem like they are safe for 3- to 8-year-old children, the group said.

PEG GAMES

AT ISSUE: The group said toys sold at Dollar Tree that use golf-tee-like pegs and wooden boards contain choking hazards and lack warning labels.

DOLLAR TREE’S RESPONSE: In an emailed statement, Kayleigh Painter, a Dollar Tree spokeswoman, said: “The safety of our customers and associates is our top priority. Our company invests in a significant amount of independent testing to ensure our suppliers’ products meet all safety and legal standards.

“We are in the process of reviewing the items identified in today’s report and our compliance testing results. We will continue to work actively with our suppliers to ensure their products are compliant and safe.”

Jeff Horseman got into journalism because he liked to write and stunk at math. He grew up in Vermont and he honed his interviewing skills as a supermarket cashier by asking Bernie Sanders “Paper or plastic?” After graduating from Syracuse University in 1999, Jeff began his journalistic odyssey at The Watertown Daily Times in upstate New York, where he impressed then-U.S. Senate candidate Hillary Clinton so much she called him “John” at the end of an interview. From there, he went to Annapolis, Maryland, where he covered city, county and state government at The Capital newspaper before love and the quest for snowless winters took him in 2007 to Southern California, where he started out covering Temecula for The Press-Enterprise. Today, Jeff writes about Riverside County government and regional politics. Along the way, Jeff has covered wildfires, a tropical storm, 9/11 and the Dec. 2 terror attack in San Bernardino. If you have a question or story idea about politics or the inner workings of government, please let Jeff know. He’ll do his best to answer, even if it involves a little math.

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